Recognized alongside co-author Hikaru Kinouchi by the world’s premier management association for groundbreaking research on entrepreneurial storytelling and IPO success.

YOKOHAMA, JAPAN — Yokohama National University (YNU) is proud to announce that research led by Associate Professor Yasutaka Jikuya (Faculty / Graduate School of International Social Sciences) and co-authored with graduate student Hikaru Kinouchi has received the prestigious “Best Accepted Paper Award” (Entrepreneurship Division) at the 86th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management (AOM), held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, from July 31 to August 4, 2026. Following this recognition, an abridged version of the study has been published in the Proceedings of the 2026 Academy of Management Meeting.

Significance of the Award and Research Overview

The Academy of Management (AOM) is the world’s preeminent scholarly association in the field of management, boasting nearly 20,000 members across more than 120 countries. Out of thousands of submissions evaluated through a rigorous blind peer-review process each year, only the top few percent are awarded the distinction of “Best Accepted Paper.”

The award-winning paper, entitled “The Recipe for IPO Success: A Configurational Approach to Entrepreneurial Storytelling”, investigates how narratives crafted by entrepreneurs impact the success of Initial Public Offerings (IPOs). Based on more than six years of meticulous data accumulation, the study goes beyond traditional single-variable analyses. By utilizing a configurational approach, the authors systematically uncovered how complex combinations of storytelling elements synergistically generate investor resonance and drive IPO performance. The research was highly evaluated by global reviewers for its analytical rigor, conceptual novelty, and empirical depth.

Comment from Lead Author, Associate Professor Yasutaka Jikuya:

“It is a great honor to receive this prestigious recognition from the Academy of Management. To understand the essential mechanism of how entrepreneurs articulate an uncertain future and mobilize vital capital during IPOs, we spent over six years persistently gathering empirical data and refining our theoretical framework. We are delighted that this long-term effort has been acknowledged by the international academic community, and we remain committed to conducting impactful research that contributes globally.”

Award & Paper Summary

Conference	Academy of Management (AOM) 86th Annual Meeting
Location & Dates	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA | July 31 – August 4, 2026
Award Title	Best Accepted Paper (Entrepreneurship Division)
Paper Title	“The Recipe for IPO Success: A Configurational Approach to Entrepreneurial Storytelling”
Authors	• Yasutaka Jikuya (Associate Professor, Graduate School of International Social Sciences, YNU; Lead & Corresponding Author) • Hikaru Kinouchi (2nd-year Master’s Student, Graduate School of International Social Sciences, YNU)

Media & Research Inquiries:

Research Promotion Office, Faculty of International Social Sciences, Yokohama National University
Tel: +81-(0)45-339-3706

Website: https://www.ynu.ac.jp/